Action plan to boost population of Great Indian Bustard soon

JAIPUR: The State Action Plan to prevent the dwindling population of Great Indian Bustard (GIB) is finally ready to be implemented soon. The action plan envisages a increasing the population of these birds by addressing primary factors of habitat improvement and habitat protection.

While the GIB population at present has been estimated around 250 in five states where they are found, the numbers in Rajasthan are estimated to be around 100. "The species, known as Ardeotis Nigriceps, is critically endangered because it has an extremely small population that has undergone an extremely rapid decline owing to a multitude of threats including habitat loss and degradation, hunting and direct disturbance. It now requires an urgent acceleration in targeted conservation actions in order to prevent it from becoming functionally extinct within a few decades," said A C Chaubey, chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan.

"Our primary aim is to protect areas intensively used by GIB by creating inviolate spaces during breeding season. We plan to do this by strengthening existing fencing, creation of additional water sources, make enclosures inviolate during breeding period by employing local people and trim the grass and bushes near guzzlers to provide clear visibility to GIB during breeding season," said Chaubey.

Besides it would require augmenting required food supply during pinch period around guzzlers. "For this an area of 5,000 hectares is being proposed in Sudashri, Ramdevra, Sam, Rasala, Mokal and Saunkalia," he said.

Another action plan would be to create new closures having an area more than 2,000 hectares for which Kanod, Mokal, Ramdevra,Sam/Ganga and Rasala have been identified that have existing closures having an area of 1200,1400 and 600 hectares respectively but additional closures around the existing closures will be created. Add to that, because GIB is seen regularly in Kanod, and the habitat matches with the existing breeding area of Sudashri, about 3000 hectares will be developed there.

"We also plan to declare 5 km radius around enclosures as "minimal infrastructure zone", where GIB-unfriendly infrastructure has to be curtailed. There would be no new GIB-unfriendly development and no high tension power lines would be allowed in the minimal infrastructure zone," said Chaubey.

Bird faces highest level of threat

The 2011 Red List of birds, released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has enlisted the bird in the 'Critically Endangered' category, the highest level of threat. According to IUCN, activities such as mining, stone quarrying, growth of industries, and power projects along with the expansion of roads, electric poles, wind turbines and other infrastructures have increased the severity of habitat degradation and disturbance. In India, the bird is now restricted to Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.